Method of making decorative candles



United States Patent METHOD OF MAKING DECDRATIVE CANDLES Raymond S. Gronowski, Hammond, Ind, assignor to Standard Oil Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Indiana N0 Drawing. Application October 28, 1953, Serial No. 388,901

2 Claims. (Cl. 67--22.5)

The present invention relates to improvements in the method of making ornamental or decorative candles. Decorative candles having an irregular knobby or rough surface heretofore have been prepared by dipping ordinary smooth-surfaced candles in a body of molten wax having small particles of solidified wax dispersed therein, withdrawing the candle from the molten wax bath and cooling the same, whereupon the dipped candles acquired an irregular knobby rough surface. This method of preparing decorative candles is described and claimed in U. S. 2,315,751 issued to R. C. Webber April 6, 1943.

It is the object of this invention to provide an improved method of making a decorative candle having an irregular knobby rough surface.

In accordance with the present invention, a decorative candle having a rough knobby irregular surface is prepared by applying droplets of molten wax to the surface of an ordinary smooth-surfaced candle and permitting said droplets of molten wax to solidify thereon. Briefly, the decorative candle of the type herein described is prepared by spraying finely dispersed molten Wax onto the surface of a candle. Preferably, the molten Wax is maintained at a temperature slightly above its melting point, namely about 20 degrees to about 40 degrees above its melting point,. so that the molten wax particles upon striking the cooled surface of a candle are solidified and form thereon a knobby rough surface. The wax being applied to the surface of the candle can have substantially the same melting point as the wax of the candle body, or it can have a higher melting point than such wax. Parafiin wax having melting points of about 128 F. to about 145 F. can be suitably used although waxes of higher or lower melting point can be used depending upon the type of candle being treated and the melting point of the wax of the candle body. The wax to be applied to the candle body can be a straight paraflin wax or it can be mixtures of parafiin wax and stearic acid or other waxes.

In carrying out the invention, the candle selected for ornamentation or decoration can be a dipped or molded white or colored paraffin wax candle, the stock of which may or may not contain stearic acid. The candle to be treated in the manner herein described is preferably made of paratfin wax having a melting point in the range of from about 128 F. to about 132 F. Candles made of beeswax or any other wax or mixture of waxes can be decorated in accordance with this invention. The candle to be so decorated or treated is hereinafter referred to as the base candle.

To obtain a decorative candle, molten wax (in a suitable spraying equipment, is sprayed on the surface of the base candle suitably placed at a distance from about 12 inches to about 18 inches from the spray nozzle, the distance being dependent upon the type of spraying equipment and the spray nozzle. The finely dispersed droplets of molten Wax applied to the surface of the base candle solidify upon striking the surface of the candle, imparting to the candle a rough knobby appearing coating. If desired, the decorative candle can be given a metallic, iridescent appearance by incorporating a finely divided metallic powder, such as bronze or aluminum, in the molten Wax, or by dipping the candle, which has been previously prepared by my spraying process, in a suspension of the finely divided metal in a suitable vehicle such as, for example, a mixture of ester gums as described in U. S. 1,968,269. Also, if desired, the decorative candle can be made of various colors by using suitable dyes or pigments in the molten Wax. The base candle and the wax applied to the surface of such candle may be of the same or different colors.

In applying the molten Wax to the surface of the base candle, any suitable spraying equipment can be used. A suitable apparatus for spraying the molten wax is described in U. S. 1,889,507 issued to T. Watson November 29, 1932. Other types of low-pressure spraying equipment, such as sprayers of the type normally used as insect sprayers and the like, can be suitably employed.

I claim:

1. The method of preparing a decorative wax candle comprising maintaining wax, having a melting point above the melting point of the wax of said candle, in a molten state at a temperature of from about 20 F. to about 40 F. above the melting point of said wax, spraying in finely dispersed droplets said molten wax on the surface of said Wax candle and permitting said sprayed molten wax to solidify on the surface of said candle to form an irregular rough knobby surface thereon.

2. The method of preparing a decorative wax candle comprising maintaining a body of wax having a melting point of from about 128 F. to about F. in the molten state at a temperature of from about 20 F. to about 40 F. above the melting point of said wax, spraying in finely dispersed droplets said molten wax on the surface of a Wax candle and permitting said sprayed molten wax to solidify on the surface of said candle, thereby forming an irregular rough knobby surface on said candle.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,426,174 Gambell Aug. 15, 1922 1,959,164 Jaeger May 15, 1934 2,464,361 Wilson Mar. 15, 1949 2,627,174 Weglin Feb. 3, 1953 

1. THE METHOD OF PREPARING A DECORATIVE WAX CANDLE COMPRISING MAINTAINING WAX,HAVING A MELTING POINT ABOVE THE MELTING POINT OF THE WAX OF SAID CANDLE, IN A MOLTEN STATE AT A TEMPERATURE OF FROM ABOUT 20* F. TO ABOUT 40* F. ABOVE THE MELTING POINT OF SAID WAX, SPRAYING IN FINELY DISPERSED DROPLETS SAID MOLTEN WAZ ON THE SURFACE OF SAID WAX CANDLE AND PERMITTING SAID SPRAYED MOLTEN WAX TO SOLIDIFY ON THE SURFACE OF SAID CANDLE TO FORM AN IRREGULAR ROUGH KNOBBY SURFACE THEREON. 